Pinterest

Social networks have become very beautiful walled gardens, but some of them remain more secluded and gated than others. Take for example Pinterest, whose treasure trove of user data remains almost like an unattainable holy grail for all but a select few of marketers. That changes today, however, as Pinterest announces the existence of API for third-party developers. But don't go dancing around yet, expecting some sort of Pinterest clients or whatnot to come gushing forth. It's still a somewhat exclusive party, just with a few more guests invited.

Whether or not Google is dismantling Google+, reorganizing it, or just thinking differently about social is unknown. Through signs that the social layer of Google is at least being demoted through the ranks, the service has nonetheless added a new feature that pinches a bit of cool from another social service that might be more widely used. With Collections, you’ll be able to take things of interest and organize them into lists, which can in turn be shared to the public, or a more private audience.

Pinterest, the upstart social network centered around imagery rather than words, is trying to become even bigger. Today, Pinterest is announcing details of a Developer platform, a suite of APIs engineered to “bring pins to life”. Developers can now leverage user pins in their own apps, where Pinterest envisions apps that use what people pin to encourage real-life shopping, “like apps for ordering ingredients from a recipe Pin or booking trips based on travel Pins.” The program is still in beta form, but Pinterest already has the underpinnings of a winner.

Pinterest has been up to different things lately, having just recently kicked off its apps initiative, and according to a new tip that has surfaced, it is also looking to enter the e-commerce sphere. The pinning website is reportedly planning to add a "buy" button that will allow users to buy some of the items they discover in pins, doing so without having to leave the website for a different one. The feature could be seen within the next half a year, though it might launch in a limited fashion first before becoming more widely available.

Pinterest is practically the home of all things interesting on the Web, from photos, to art, to recipes, to products, to fashion. And it doesn't matter if you're a gal or a guy, you'll probably find something pinteresting on Pinterest. To emphasize its message of broader appeal even more, Pinterest is introducing a new type of pin that users of both sexes will most likely find useful: app pins. Or to be more precises iPad and iPhone app pins that let you install apps right within Pinterest.

Data from comScore says that out of Pinterest's 72.5 million US visitors, 71% are women. However, Pinterest wants to tip the scales in the direction of an increased male demographic, and as part of their efforts, the social network has just announced new changes to its search filters that better customize results for users. Now searches will take into account the gender selected by users when they created an account. For example, Pinterest says if a male user searches for watches, results will skew towards what has been pinned by other men.

Pinterest fans on Windows are about to get the app they’ve been waiting for. Pinterest has released a beta version of their app to Windows Phone, bringing them onto every major mobile OS around. Like any good app, it works much like the site it represents.

It's very easy to forget that social media is not a charitable institution that wants you to connect to the world. The truth of the matter is that we humans love drama, and we thrive on gossip. The minute you score a new gig, you immediately share it on Facebook. Controversial news – let's spill it on Twitter! 'I'm the next best photographer with a new phone'; sure Instagram is there, and for the crafty-you – Pinterest is your best friend. Once you've been hooked to the platform, the monetization game begins.

After a few years of making it easy to find and share pictures of all sorts, Pinterest, the Internet's scrapbook, will be adding advertisements to the service in the near future. The Wall Street Journal reports the company is aiming to keeps its advertisements in line with what users often encounter on the service, however, which means giving them an artistic flair.

We haven't heard as much lately from Pinterest as we used to, but the site is still very popular with a lot of users around the country. Pinterest added support for GIF images not long ago. The website is now offering what it calls a sneak peak at its new homepage.

If Tumblr isn't satiating your GIF needs, Pinterest might become your new favorite stomping ground -- the company has announced on its blog new support for GIFs, adding an element of easy-to-browse animations to the picture-pinning social network. To get people in the mood, it also collected together some of its favorites for all to enjoy.

Pinterest has announced a new partnership with Getty Images, something that brings additional information to users. This is one of the network's efforts to increase the value of the network, and follows after things like price drop notifications and other handy changes. Getty Images is home to vast quantities of data, boasting "hundreds of thousands of contributors," and that makes it a valuable tool to the photo-centric social network.